The Art of Racing in the Rain – review by Christian Testa

Christian is a 6th grader in my class whose last name is Italian for ‘head’, which is fitting ‘cuz he’s always using his . . . wait for it . . . head! Smart, kind, thoughtful, he is in my largest class of the day but doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. Whether he’s sharing thoughts about our studies on paper or in conversation, he always has terrific things to say. Glad he decided to share some of his ideas with you.

“A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life…as only a dog could tell it.”-Amazon & Goodreads

The Art of Racing in the Rain is one of the most emotional, smartest, and loving books there is, that is, from the perspective of a dog. It is a story of loyalty and love until the very end and the soulful relationship between Enzo and his master Denny. Denny is a race car driver and is very skillful in the art of driving his car in the rain. He gets married to Eve, a fun woman with crabby parents. Their family is very happy, and Enzo is joyful and full of life. He loves to watch famous races with Denny, (as well as root for Senna- Enzo’s favorite race car driver of all time), and they both share a passion for racing. Enzo’s family goes through many ups and downs, with many tragic experiences. Eve falls deathly ill, her parents fight for custody, and Denny even gets framed for sexual abuse. Enzo is a character that you will love and will make you want the book never to end. He is a very loyal and loving dog, and his character teaches us about the importance of love, and how when people act badly, it is not themselves, but fear and deceit, (sometimes in the form of an evil stuffed zebra). I would highly recommend this book to anybody who reads middle school to young adult level books. While this book is very humorous and loving, you learn many life lessons of life, love, and what is feels like to be a dog. It is a very well written novel, and you will be thinking about it long after you have finished it.The Art of Racing in the Rain is a very emotional, humorous, and smart book, which will make you appreciate your pet more, (or make you want one), and make you never want Enzo to leave.